Perhaps the only question we have after seeing the attached table, which shows that as of Q3, 2013 JPMorgan owned $65.4 billion, or just over 60% of the total notional ($108.2 billion) of all gold derivatives in the US, is whether the CFTC will pull the "our budget was too small" excuse to justify why it allowed Jamie Dimon to ignore any and all position limits and corner the gold market?

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- A Charlottesville Circuit Court ruling on police jurisdiction has caught the attention of law enforcement agencies around Virginia.

The Daily Progress ( http://bit.ly/1bRAsso ) reports that the ruling came in a case involving Albemarle County officers who had crossed into Charlottesville to investigate a hit and run. At issue is whether officers cross jurisdictional lines to question someone are entitled to the protections of their badge.

Judge Paul. M Peatross Jr. last week that the officers weren't responding to an emergency that involved any immediate threat to life or public safety. The judge dismissed two felony assault charges against a man who was shot during a May 2013 altercation with the officers.

Russell Investments’ Chief Economist Mike Dueker was found dead in an apparent suicide in the United States, the latest in a series of untimely deaths among finance workers and business leaders around the world this past week.

Police say it appears Dueker took his own life by jumping from a ramp near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Tacoma, Wash., the AP reported Friday.

February is Black History Month and today I am attending the Republican National Committee “Black Republican Trailblazers” luncheon at The Howard Theater in Washington DC.

I am proud not just this month, but every month of the accomplishments and achievements black Americans have contributed to these United States.

My own story is one connected to the legacy of the first black men to don the uniform of America, the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, whose valor shined brilliantly at Fort Wagner during the Civil War. As well, prior to myself, the last black Republican Member of Congress from Florida was Rep. Josiah T. Walls. These are the stories we must continue to tell this month, and every day to our next generation of children and grandchildren so they may never forget the service and sacrifices that enable them to have the blessings of liberty and freedom.Read more

The designers of Obamacare made wholly inaccurate assumptions about how uninsured and lower income people would respond to new healthcare options, and evidence from the troubled program's start-up should provide a lesson on the pitfalls of governing a socially and economically diverse nation, says Michael Barone.

"The evidence is not all in. But it seems that Americans are not behaving as Obamacare's architects — and many critics — expected," the syndicated columnist writes in The Wall Street Journal.

Barone, the senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner and resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, highlights three misguided assumptions at the heart of the president's signature healthcare law.

For a start, he says, the authors of the legislation incorrectly assumed that everyone wants health insurance, and that if low-cost coverage was available for those with modest incomes, the uninsured would overwhelmingly take advantage of it.

The evidence so far, Barone says, does not bear that out. He cites low enrollment rates among the uninsured and a recent Kaiser poll indicating the program's unpopularity among that group.

The Food and Drug Administration is using ads that depict yellow teeth and wrinkled skin to show the nation's at-risk youth the costs associated with cigarette smoking.

The federal agency said Tuesday it is launching a $115 million multimedia education campaign called "The Real Cost" that's aimed at stopping teenagers from smoking and encouraging them to quit.

Advertisements will run in more than 200 markets throughout the U.S. for at least one year beginning Feb. 11. The campaign will include ads on TV stations such as MTV and print spots in magazines like Teen Vogue. It also will use social media.More

It is not coincidence that these two unofficial taxes--healthcare and college tuition--are soaring in cost, outpacing all other household expenses.

I have long argued that to make an apples-to-apples comparison of real tax rates in the U.S. and other equivalently developed advanced democracies, we have to include two enormous expenses that are funded by the central state in countries such as Denmark and France: healthcare and college tuition/fees.

In The Real-World Middle Class Tax Rate: 75% (July 5, 2012), I estimated that healthcare insurance (if paid out of gross income, as we self-employed workers do) in the U.S. is roughly equivalent to a 15% tax.

Now that the Orwellian-named Affordable Care Act (ACA) is raising costs and deductibles, the true cost of healthcare (a.k.a. sickcare, because being chronically sick is so darned profitable for the cartels) is more like 20% in America.

Correspondent Tim L. (whose daughter is attending a prestigious STEM--science, technology, engineering, math--university) recently called $40-$50,000 per year college tuition what it really is: a tax:

College tuition is just another tax. If you can afford to pay it, you have to. If you cannot, you do not. Anytime you have to pay more for something because you can, you are paying a tax. Between traditional taxes, the college tuition tax, and the health insurance tax (also paid only by those who can afford to), I figure this year and the next three I'm in a 100+% tax bracket.

U.S. intelligence agencies last week urged the Obama administration to check its new healthcare network for malicious software after learning that developers linked to the Belarus government helped produce the website, raising fresh concerns that private data posted by millions of Americans will be compromised.

The intelligence agencies notified the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency in charge of the Healthcare.gov network, about their concerns last week. Specifically, officials warned that programmers in Belarus, a former Soviet republic closely allied with Russia, were suspected of inserting malicious code that could be used for cyber attacks, according to U.S. officials familiar with the concerns.

The software links the millions of Americans who signed up for Obamacare to the federal government and more than 300 medical institutions and healthcare providers.More

The Obama administration warned on Monday it could start defaulting on the government's obligations "very soon" after it runs out of room to borrow under a legal cap on public debt.

Washington is due to reinstate a limit on its borrowing at the end of this week and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the administration can use accounting measures to stay under the new cap until the end of February.

After that time, "very soon it would not be possible to meet all of the obligations of the federal government," Lew said at an event hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a prominent Washington think tank.

(GLEN BURNIE, MD) – Maryland State Police today issued traffic charges to an Anne Arundel County driver involved in a crash four months ago that critically injured a state trooper on a traffic stop.

The driver is identified as Enrique Guzman, Jr., 21, of Pasadena, Md. He was issued two traffic citations this morning at his home by a Maryland State Police Crash Team investigator. He is charged with a violation of Maryland’s ‘move over’ law, which carries a fine of $750. He is also charged with negligent driving, which carries a fine of $280. The penalty for each charge also includes three points if the violation contributed to a traffic crash. Acceptance of the citations is not an admission of guilt. Guzman has a right to stand trial on the charges or pay the fines prior to trial.

The charges were placed after a detailed crash reconstruction and investigation was conducted by the Maryland State Police Crash Team. The investigation was reviewed by the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office. After the review, prosecutors determined the two charges listed above should be issued to the driver.

Guzman is charged in connection with a crash that occurred at about 1:00 a.m. on October 6, 2013, on eastbound Rt. 100, prior to the Catherine Avenue exit. Trooper Jacqueline Kline, assigned to the Glen Burnie Barrack, had just stopped on the shoulder of the highway to back-up a K-9 trooper on a traffic stop. The investigation revealed that as Trooper Kline walked along the highway shoulder toward the patrol car in front of her, the car driven by Guzman struck her.

Trooper Kline was thrown onto the hood of the striking vehicle, a 2007 Nissan Versa. She was then propelled into the back of the State Police K-9 car, where she struck the back windshield and metal K-9 cage inside the car.

Trooper Kline was hospitalized for several weeks, but is now out of the hospital. She continues to improve with a speed that amazes her medical team and her fellow troopers.

The New Farm Bill, which is expected to be up for a vote in the Senate today:

Spends More than the Senate Bill. The Senate farm bill would have reduced farm bill spending by only $17.8 billion despite the fact that spending has gotten out of hand. For example, food stamp spending has quadrupled since 2000. This new bill would actually reduce spending by an even smaller amount, only about $16.5 billion. This is in contrast to the House bill that would have reduced spending by about $51.8 billion.

Fails to Make Important Reforms to Food Stamps. The House bill took modest steps to require work for able-bodied adult food stamp recipients. Their bill also eliminated a policy known as broad-based categorical eligibility that allows households with even an unlimitedamount of assets to receive food stamps: for instance, someone could have $100,000 in the bank and still receive food stamps. The Senate bill didn’t address either of these issues. The final farm bill only includes the weakest of work provisions and turns a blind eye to the problem of broad-based categorical eligibility.More

Congress‘ mammoth farm bill restores the imposition of an extra fee on home heating oil, hitting consumers in cold-weather states just as utility costs are spiking.

The fee — two-tenths of a cent on every gallon sold — was tacked on to the end of the 959-page bill, which is winding its way through Capitol Hill. The fee would last for nearly 20 years and would siphon the money to develop equipment that is cheaper, more efficient and safer, and to encourage consumers to update their equipment.

“Do you understand that?” he asked, speaking slowly and deliberately, as though to a child.

The judge appeared frequently perplexed by Berman’s explanations Monday afternoon in the federal courtroom as to why the government was not prepared to argue its case after filing a motion three weeks ago asking him to halt further proceedings while appeals go forward in the nation’s biggest spy case.

Leon had already ruled in December that the National Security Agency had probably violated Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure with its PRISM program.Read more

But before he continues pushing his typical gun-control agenda, he should consider what law enforcement in Europe and the United States advise. It might surprise him.

In November, Interpol’s secretary general, Ron Noble, noted there are two ways to protect people from such mass shootings: “One is to say we want an armed citizenry; you can see the reason for that. Another is to say the enclaves [should be] so secure that in order to get into the soft target you’re going to have to pass through extraordinary security.”

After wasting nearly $325 million during the 2012 election cycle with nothing to show for it and thendeclaring war on the Tea Party, donations to Karl Rove's three Crossroads groups decreased by 98% last year. The groups reportedly raised a paltry $6.1 million combined in 2013.

Rove runs Crossroads GPS, American Crossroads, and the Conservative Victory Project Super PAC, which was formed this year to wage war against conservatives. Rove's two groups raised $325 million in 2012 and about $70 million in 2010. As Politico notes, though, "Rove added a third group to the network in 2013, forming the Conservative Victory Project to counterbalance the influence of Tea Party and conservative grassroots forces in GOP primaries."

While the U.S. Defense Department is taking bold steps to embrace the latest technology in nearly every operational specialty, it might be the simplicity of a kitchen sponge that saves hundreds of lives every year.

The new battlefield gadget is called X-STAT, and it uses a novel twist on simple science, offering a different way to treat deep gun shot wounds that have plagued military medics for years.

The sponges work fast: In just 15 seconds, they expand to fill the entire wound cavity, creating enough pressure to stop heavy bleeding, reports Popular Science. Keeping the technology simple is hugely important in the chaotic, pre-hospital environment. RevMedx designed the XSTAT to literally be plug-and-play.More

Horror stories abound about hospitals charging people ridiculous sums of money in America for something as cheap and plentiful as an aspirin. This is nothing new, and it’s something that’s sadly just an accepted fact.

The National Institutes of Health has spent millions of dollars studying male sex workers in Peru, including more than $400,000 to determine why gay men get syphilis in the South American country.

“Syphilis remains an uncontrolled infectious disease globally, with high prevalence and incidence in certain high risk populations, affecting more than 20 percent of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Peru,” according to the grant, awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“The incidence of syphilis in MSM in Peru is about 9 cases per 100 person-years,” it said. “We are proposing a study to improve our understanding of syphilis epidemiology and molecular biology, particularly among MSM.”More

The RFRA was enacted to block other laws that interfere with Americans' ability to practice their religion, and it was praised by liberals when it became law back in 1993. Bill Clinton happily signed the law, which overturned a 1990 Supreme Court decision by conservative Justice Antonin Scalia that effectively prohibited Native Americans from using the drug peyote even though it was part of a religious ritual.

Completion of the entire [Keystone] pipeline would raise prices at the pump in the Midwest and Rocky Mountains 10 to 20 cents a gallon, Verleger, the Colorado consultant, said in an e-mail message.The higher crude prices also would erase the discount enjoyed by cities including Chicago, Cheyenne and Denver, Verleger said.

Gas prices might go up, not down: Right now, a lot of oil being produced in Canada and North Dakota has trouble reaching the refineries and terminals on the Gulf. Since that supply can’t be sold abroad, it reduces the competition for it to Midwest refineries that can pay lower prices to get it.

Giving the Canadian oil access to the Gulf means the glut in the Midwest goes away, making it more expensive for the region.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cuts to food stamps, continued subsidies to farmers and victories for animal rights advocates. The massive, five-year farm bill heading toward final passage this week has broad implications for just about every American, from the foods we eat to what we pay for them.

Support for farmers through the subsidies included in the legislation helps determine the price of food and what is available. And money for food stamps helps the neediest Americans who might otherwise go hungry.

The legislation could reach President Barack Obama this week. The House already has passed the bipartisan measure and the Senate was scheduled to pass the bill Tuesday after the chamber voted to move forward on the legislation Monday evening.More

An Oregon startup has developed a pocket-size device that uses tiny sponges to stop bleeding fast.

When a soldier is shot on the battlefield, the emergency treatment can seem as brutal as the injury itself. A medic must pack gauze directly into the wound cavity, sometimes as deep as 5 inches into the body, to stop bleeding from an artery. It’s an agonizing process that doesn't always work--if bleeding hasn't stopped after three minutes of applying direct pressure, the medic must pull out all the gauze and start over again. It’s so painful, “you take the guy’s gun away first,” says former U.S. Army Special Operations medic John Steinbaugh.

Even with this emergency treatment, many soldiers still bleed to death; hemorrhage is a leading cause of death on the battlefield. "Gauze bandages just don't work for anything serious," says Steinbaugh, who tended to injured soldiers during more than a dozen deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. When Steinbaugh retired in April 2012 after a head injury, he joined an Oregon-based startup called RevMedx, a small group of veterans, scientists, and engineers who were working on a better way to stop bleeding.

New Jersey Democrat Rep. Rob Andrews, who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee,announced his resignation from Congress on Tuesday. Andrews' misuse of campaign funds was chronicled in Breitbart News' Peter Schweizer's book Extortion. Andrews is taking a public affairs job at a Philadelphia law firm.

Schweizer's book revealed that Andrews had used campaign funds to pay for a family trip to Scotland to attend a wedding. Use of the PAC funds for the personal vacation were approved by Andrews' wife, who was the PAC's compliance officer. His campaign committee has spent more than $200,000 defending the Congressman in the investigation.

Due to the forecasted weather statewide tonight into tomorrow, the Maryland State Police Aviation Command is postponing the Ribbon Cutting ceremony scheduled for tomorrow to celebrate the new AW139 multi mission helicopter assigned to Trooper 4 in Salisbury. A number of guests and speakers would have to travel through areas forecasted to receive ice and freezing rain.

A new date has not been selected. A new press release will be sent out when a date is selected. I sincerely hope you will be able to attend.

BALTIMORE —An MS-13 gang member has been found guilty of trying to kill a man who told police that he had been robbed and assaulted by another gang member.

A Prince George's County jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Marvin Reyes-Mendoza guilty on Monday of attempted murder, first-degree assault, participation in a criminal gang and related charges in the November 2011 shooting.

The victim, who hasn't been named, told police in September 2011 that he had been assaulted and robbed by known MS-13 gang member Wilmer Argueta. Police said after Argueta was arrested, the victim started hearing rumors about MS-13 gang members looking for him for "snitching," and he had begun seeing a strange white SUV driving around his neighborhood.

(SALISBURY, MD) – After locating and notifying family in Delaware, Maryland State Police are identifying the armed man fatally wounded yesterday in Wicomico County during an encounter with police officers attempting to arrest him.

The man is identified as James L. Norris, 25, whose last known address was in the 400-block of North Franklin Street, Wilmington, Delaware. He was pronounced dead at Peninsula Regional Medical Center shortly after 7:30 p.m. yesterday.

Norris was a passenger in a car stopped about 4:30 p.m. yesterday on Rt. 13 at Philadelphia Avenue, in Salisbury. Norris was wanted on handgun charges by the Wilmington Police Department. Police were attempting to take him into custody when he was fatally wounded.

Investigators with the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit remain uncertain at this time if the fugitive was wounded by a self-inflicted gunshot or by the police officer from the Salisbury Police Department who was a member of the Maryland State Apprehension Team. Police found the fugitive had his hands clenched around revolvers in both jacket pockets.

D.C. police in January recorded among the highest monthly total of homicides seen in the city in recent years, with the number of killings exceeded in only two other months since 2011.

Police said 14 killings were recorded last month, trailing only the 15 homicides seen in July and the 23 homicides in September — a total inflated by a mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard that claimed 12 victims.

The figure is well ahead of the pace set to open the last three years, when five killings were recorded in January 2013, six were seen in January 2012 and nine occurred in January 2011.

Washington, D.C. -- This Saturday, February 8, Congressman Andy Harris’ office will host two Tax Filing Season Readiness outreach events that are free and open to the public. The first will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. The event will take place in the theater at the Student Services Center. Free parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Student Services Center.

This presentation will address new changes specific to the Eastern Shore, including the shift of income tax preparation assistance from the local Salisbury IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center to the local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs. These programs are administered through Shore Up in Salisbury and UMES in Somerset County, as well as local AARP state representatives, all of whom have been invited to attend the event in Princess Anne.

A similar event will be held later that day, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Elkton Central Branch Library located at 301 Newark Avenue, Elkton, Md. 21921. Free overflow parking is available at the Singerly Fire Company across the street from the library.

At both events, the IRS will provide information on tax preparation services, identity theft, and refund fraud, as well as guidance on how to select a return preparer. The events will also provide an opportunity for district constituents to speak with an IRS representative regarding personal tax-filing issues.

In announcing the events, Congressman Andy Harris said, “I am pleased to host the Tax Filing Season Readiness events to provide constituents the opportunity to speak with an IRS representative about their specific tax-filing issues and to obtain information about the most recent changes to the federal tax code. The current tax code is very complex and sometimes burdensome for millions of individuals and small businesses. With all of the federal tax code changes from year to year, my office frequently addresses these concerns with the IRS. Last year alone, my office handled 126 IRS-related cases. Knowing of this difficulty, I am pleased to have the IRS as a guest for this event on behalf of my constituents.”

Date of Occurrence: Monday February 3, 2014 at approximately 1:10 p.m.

Victim: 67 year old female

Suspects: Two males (no further physical or clothing description). One subject possibly armed with an unknown type handgun.

Resume:Laurel, DE- The Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit is currently investigating a home invasion that occurred east of Laurel yesterday afternoon.

Troopers responded to the 18000 block of Johnson Road around 1:10 p.m. yesterday after a 9-1-1 call was placed from a neighbor stating two subjects had just broken into the house next door and the woman was tied up. The investigation revealed the 67 year old victim had just let her dog outside around noon and was walking into her office when she was accosted from behind by a male subject with a gun. The suspects then taped her eyes and mouth closed as well as her wrists and ankles while demanding to know where her money, drugs, and guns were located. The victim was able to hear two male subjects talking to one another but was unable to describe their physical characteristics or clothing. The suspects then ransacked the house for approximately an hour before fleeing with a 9mm handgun, prescription medication, cash, and jewelry. The 67 year old female victim was uninjured in the incident and was able to make a phone call to her neighbor for help.

If anyone has any information in reference to this incident, they are asked to contact Detective K. Archer at 302-856-5850 ext. 224 or by utilizing the Delaware State Police Mobile Crime Tip Application available to download at: http://www.delaware.gov/apps/. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet atwww.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Citing the need to boost employee morale, the Internal Revenue Service’s new commissioner said Monday that he will pay out millions of dollars in bonuses to agency employees, reversing a decision his predecessor made to save money amid the sequester budget cuts and other belt-tightening last year.

The agency remains under fire for targeting tea party groups, but Commissioner John Koskinen said the bonuses are needed to retain and attract good employees in a time of cutbacks.

“This is money best spent on our existing employees,” he said in an email to agency employees. “The performance award payouts are in recognition of that great work done in very trying circumstances. I firmly believe that this investment in our employees will directly benefit taxpayers and the tax system.”More

A month ago, none other than Conan O'Brien exposed the un-independent PR-sponsored propaganda-fest that is the local news mainstream media in America [3]. Well, it's happened again... this time proclaiming "Don't worry... be Happy."
As Liberty Blitzkrieg's Mike Krieger reminds [4], we all know the mainstream media is a joke but sometimes its inherent idiocy can be best highlighted with a little humor...
More

"Local officials who abuse zoning authority powers to cower citizens into submission and deprive land owners of Constitutional rights in the enjoyment of their land must be subject to fines and actual damages they cause including attorney fees," Delegate Bob Marshall noted in support of his HB 1219 recently introduced in the Virginia General Assembly.

Marshall introduced his bill in direct response to incidents precipitated by county officials who threatened Virginia citizen farmer Martha Boneta. Boneta gained national attention after she was cited and threatened with $5,000 per-day fines for hosting such 'menacing activities' as a birthday party for eight 10-year old girls without a permit and advertising pumpkin carvings. Virginians rallied at two "pitchfork protests" in support of Boneta.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will post job ads once again, thanks to new money in the 2014 spending bill. It lifts a hiring freeze that had been in place since March. The agency had suspended hiring and staff development under sequestration. The National Weather Service Employees Organization has accused the agency of taking unnecessary risks by leaving field positions open. The union says the Weather Service has about 450 vacancies.

The president’s State of the Union address last week was notable for one thing: the almost total absence of the president’s signature health care law. Despite the fact that the address came within weeks of the law’s full rollout, the president didn’t even mention the law until almost 40 minutes into his speech.

And when he did finally get to the topic of ObamaCare, his remarks were striking for what they didn’t mention.

At no point did the president talk about help for those forced off their health care plans, relief for those dealing with ObamaCare-induced sticker shock, or anything for the many Americans confronting the loss of the doctor they had and liked.

But the president’s attempt to avoid the subject of his signature law won’t work, because Americans are being confronted with the pain of ObamaCare every day.

HealthCare.gov has produced tens of thousands of errors. But the government has no way of fixing them. The Washington Post reports, mistakes include wrong pricing, putting people in the wrong insurance plan, or denying them coverage altogether. 22,000 people have filed appeals. The appeals are stored in a computer system unavailable to federal employees with the authority to rectify the mistakes. The Obama administration has kept the situation under wraps. Officials tell the Post they have no idea when the appeals process will become operational.

WASHINGTON -The Maryland Earned Sick and Safe Leave Act, expected to be introduced next week in Annapolis, could mean more than 700,000 workers in the state, who currently have no earned paid sick days, may not have to choose between staying home if they or a child is sick, and a paycheck.

A coalition of 108 organizations are working to make earned paid sick leave a reality for Marylanders and plan to support the bill sponsored by State Delegate John Olszewski, D-Baltimore County, and State Sen. Catherine Pugh, D-Baltimore.

If they are successful Maryland will become the second state in the nation to pass such a law. In 2011, the Connecticut legislature became the first to pass a statewide, paid sick days law.More

(MIDDLE RIVER, MD) -- The Maryland State Police Aviation Command (MSPAC) has selected Mr. William S. “Stan” Finch, Jr. as the 2013 Pilot of the Year. Mr. Finch is assigned to the Salisbury Aviation Section based at the Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport. He was selected by his peers for this annual award based on proven performance, dedication, and commitment to the MSPAC mission.

Mr. Finch has been a member of the Aviation Command for over 30 years. During his tenure he has served as an Aviation Trauma Technician (precursor to Flight Paramedic), Pilot, Sergeant, Instructor Pilot and Civilian Pilot. In 2013 he was named the Lead Instructor Pilot for the statewide transition into the new, state of the art, AgustaWestland AW139 multi-mission helicopter. In this role he was responsible for drafting a training syllabus and training manual in compliance with FAA guidelines and coordinating the training of line pilots on the new AW139 helicopter. As a result of his tireless work and dedication to duty, MSPAC has transitioned three helicopter sections into the new helicopter with the fourth transition beginning earlier this week in St. Mary’s County. With Mr. Finch’s efforts across the state, MSPAC continues to serve the citizens of Maryland with the most advanced and capable multi-mission helicopter available. This training is the highlight of Mr. Finch’s 40 years of dedication to state of Maryland.

When it comes to hiring new employees, President Obama is telling federal agencies what not to do. Namely, discriminate against people who are unemployed and having financial difficulties through no fault of their own. The directive is part of a larger White House effort to get Corporate America to hire the long-term unemployed. 300 large companies have signed a pledge to do so. Obama says that since the federal government is the nation's largest employer, it should lead by example.

Salisbury, MD – On January 28, 2014, Smart Growth America announced that the City of Salisbury was selected to participate in the organization’s 2014 free smart growth technical assistance program. Salisbury will receive a 1- or 2-day training session with an expert from Smart Growth America on walkability to help build a stronger local economy, protect the environment, preserve sense of place, and improve overall quality of life. This technical assistance is made possible through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program.

City Council President Jake Day expressed the City’s enthusiasm by stating, "We are so pleased that Smart Growth America has deemed Salisbury to be in an exclusive class of communities that has demonstrated a commitment to revitalization, including places like San Diego, Memphis and Indianapolis. As a member of SGA's Local Leaders Council, I am keenly aware of the national thought leadership the organization has access to and how it can be applied to make Salisbury a more walkable, livable and prosperous city."

This opportunity will complement the ongoing efforts to revitalize the Downtown by identifying solutions to impediments to pedestrians and cyclists navigating the area. Promoting pedestrian and cyclist activity downtown is a priority of the City in order to encourage more residents to visit the area and patronize local businesses. This opportunity will serve as a catalyst in raising awareness about the importance of creating a walkable and sustainable community.

Smart Growth America received nearly 100 applications for technical assistance from 40 states. The 18 communities selected to receive technical assistance exhibited the strongest interest in and need for smart growth tools and clearly demonstrated a commitment from local business, community and political leaders to implement local smart growth solutions.

“Smart Growth America is committed to providing the tools and training to help community leaders keep their cities and towns livable, sustainable and vital places,” said Roger Millar, Vice President of Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute. “We are excited about working with each of these communities to develop local solutions that support thriving places now and for generations to come.” For additional information visit www.smartgrowthamerica.org or contact the Office of the Mayor at (410) 548-3100.

A local government official was busted for drug procession last week and police say she had five EBT cards with her. Those cards were sent to the Department of Agriculture as a part of a federal investigation into possible food stamp fraud.

Barack Obama is threatening to bypass Congress and use executive orders to achieve the policy changes he can’t get through legislation. “We are not just going to be waiting for legislation in order to make sure that we’re providing Americans the kind of help that they need,” he said during the State of the Union address. “I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone.” Here seemingly is one more item in the indictment of Barack Obama’s arrogant dismissal of the Constitutional order, and his contempt for mixed government.

But once again, the problem isn’t the ideology or personality flaws of Obama, as dangerous and extensive as those are. Obama is just a more extreme version of Progressive ideas permeating our politics for more than a century. The problem runs deep in our political order, and will require much more than just changing a few political personalities in order to restore the limited government and citizen self-government intended by the Founders.

SALISBURY, Md. – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Super Circus Heroes, showcasing wonders from the marvelous to the magnificent, every day is extraordinary in this action-packed super circus, filled with superhuman athleticism, power and pageantry that will have children of all ages discovering their own superhuman strength. Amazing elephants, horses, camels and more alongside astonishing acrobats, awe-inspiring aerialists and some over-the-top clowns that will have audiences in stitches...of laughter of course! Come join us in celebrating the bravery, courage and honor that lives inside all of us at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Super Circus Heroes: far from ordinary, beyond extraordinary!

All Access Pre-ShowArrive an hour early to meet performers, try on costumes and see our amazing animals up close - it's free with your ticket!

I have two sons serving one just back from Afghanistan in September he is leaving army for good in February. I know where we are not having his welcome home party, Golden corral. Thank you to all that are serving and have served, they gave me the right and freedom to post THIS.